But Richard Petty told Wheels.ca he believed Patrick was good for NASCAR despite her lack of ability, because NASCAR has evolved into "show time" since the days he raced.

"If she'd have been a male, nobody would ever know if she'd showed up at a race track," Petty said. "This is a female deal that's driving her. There's nothing wrong with that, because that's good PR for me. More fans come out, people are more interested in it. She has helped to draw attention to the sport, which helps everybody in the sport."

Patrick ran a full-time Sprint Cup schedule in 2013. She opened the year by making a splash at the Daytona 500, where she became the first female driver to win a Cup pole. She finished eighth in the season opener, her only top-10 of the 36-race season.